The challenge
Residents report burst pipes, outages and potholes through call centres, ward councillors, email, walk-in offices and social media. Each channel often keeps its own record, and requests are passed between departments without a shared reference number.
The result is familiar: residents call repeatedly for updates, officials cannot see what is outstanding, and leadership has no reliable view of turnaround times.
What an accountable workflow looks like
Every request, regardless of channel, should enter one register, receive a reference number and be assigned to an owner. Status changes are recorded, and overdue items escalate automatically.
- One intake point for all channels
- Clear departmental ownership
- Escalation rules for overdue requests
- Status updates residents can check
How to implement without disruption
Start with the two or three request types that generate the most volume. Train call-centre and front-desk staff first, since they capture most requests, then extend to field teams with mobile updates.
Once data is flowing, dashboards by ward, department and request type give management and council committees the evidence they need.
